Sean “Diddy” Combs has enlisted the help of Alexandra Shapiro, a well-known white-collar appellate attorney, in his efforts to secure bail after being denied release from a Brooklyn jail while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, as reported by Business Insider.
Shapiro is also representing Sam Bankman-Fried, the disgraced cryptocurrency mogul and Combs’ prison cellmate.
According to court documents, Combs has sought the expertise of Shapiro, an experienced lawyer who previously served as a clerk for former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, to challenge the judge’s decision to keep him detained.
Shapiro has already submitted a detailed 102-page legal brief on behalf of Bankman-Fried in his ongoing appeal of a 25-year prison sentence for charges related to fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy linked to FTX and Alameda Research’s downfall.
Both Combs and Bankman-Fried have been housed together at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center after Combs’ failed bail attempt with a $50 million bond. The judge declined the bond offer due to concerns about witness tampering and public safety risks posed by Combs.
The association between Combs and Bankman-Fried has raised questions, with speculation about whether the two discussed legal strategies while sharing living quarters. While it remains uncertain if Bankman-Fried recommended Shapiro to Combs, sharing the same legal representation adds an intriguing dynamic to their high-profile cases.
Bankman-Fried, awaiting transfer to a permanent prison facility, is challenging his conviction in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Shapiro’s legal argument for Bankman-Fried revolves around claims that the trial judge unfairly excluded crucial evidence, hindering the former cryptocurrency executive from receiving a fair trial.
Neither Shapiro nor Combs’ previous legal team has provided comments on the recent developments, and a spokesperson for Bankman-Fried has also refrained from disclosing any information regarding the legal strategies being pursued.